SAYREVILLE, NJ -- Coast to Coast Entertainment has announced the release of its Stage 2 controller board, which provides remote monitoring capabilities delivered to smartphones or computers.

The Stage 2 controller can be installed in a wide variety of coin-operated machines. It extends the data capture and remote monitoring capabilities of Coast to Coast’s popular Stage 1 controller, which is designed specifically for cranes, to other types of equipment.

According to the manufacturer, the new Stage 2 controller represents a low-cost option for monitoring any game on location. It can accommodate a conventional Ethernet local area network using Category 5 cable, a WiFi wireless LAN or the cellular telephone network. With the cellular option, the operator can monitor games remotely at any time.

The board can monitor as many as eight meters in any machine, Coast to Coast explained. It supports mechanical and electronic meters. A single system can monitor an unlimited number of games in the same location. With a wireless LAN, any game can be moved without losing connectivity, and the games can be as far apart as 300 feet.

Engineered for easy installation, the Stage 2 board requires no programming nor setup. Two wires connect each meter to the board, which is equipped with easy-to-see LEDs that monitor the Stage 2 functions. When several games are to be monitored, only one board needs a network connection. It then serves as a hub through which the other games communicate.

Coast to Coast noted that a variety of machine values can be monitored, and the board can send an alarm when a predetermined condition occurs: tickets are running low, prize inventory has fallen below a certain quantity, there are too many coins or bills in the cashbox, the top prize has been won, and more. A timer alarm can be set to permit the operator to determine whether a game has made money during a specified time period; the manufacturer pointed out that this can be very valuable information, since a sudden drop in the collection can signal a coin or ticket jam. The board can be set to send data during each play cycle. The main Cloud server checks each game every 10 minutes; if one game cannot be “seen” by the server, the operator receives an alert. Notifications may be sent by text message or email.

The companion Stage 1 controller, introduced a year and a half ago, is specifically designed for Coast to Coast’s cranes and Betson’s Big Choice line. Its monitoring features are similar to those of the new Stage 2 board, and it incorporates Coast to Coast’s AutoClaw technology that allows setting skill levels with great precision and keeps the claw adjusted to maintain them. The Stage 1 controller also reads Secure Digital memory cards, which can be used to load new music into a crane. A smartphone application permits the operator to monitor game functions, perform diagnostic tests and adjust audio volume remotely. It’s available for BlackBerry, iPhone and Windows phones. | SEE STORY

Coast to Coast reported that it employs the strongest level of Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption to assure safety and privacy of information. The operator subscriber receives customized Web pages from which information can be exported in comma-separated value (CSV) files, readable by the subscriber’s own back-office management information system.

Coast To Coast Entertainment LLC, which markets cranes and redemption novelty games, was founded in 1999 by Gary Balaban and John Maurer, who have been business partners in arcade and route operations since 1985. For information on the Stage 2 controller, call (800) 224-1717 or (732) 238-0096.